Buick 231/3.8/3800 in a Ranger SC 4x4?

[HadASplash/XLTSC]

Hello,
We had both a 3.0 Splash 4x4 (80K & sold) & a 3.0 XLT 4x4 SC (217K & sold, both '93 models.) Both 5 spd, the SC had manual hubs, manual TCase & no AC. Great trucks & great motors.
Really miss having a Ranger, & thinking about using a spare engine or two in a project for my son to eventually drive. Thinking the same as our old XLT- supercab manual trans & Tcase base to start, but use either the 85 NA 3.8 Buick I have, or eventually the 3.8 draw-thru turbo Buick 4bbl. I also have. Anyone hear of an adaptor that would allow it to mate up to the 5spd, or maybe someone putting a later 3800Supercharged motor in?
Just a thought.....
Mike

 

[RonD]

Just a quick look at the GM engines you mentioned and they seem to all be transverse mounted, which can be overcome but extra layer of complications, older models did come in RWD but not sure if those head gaskets, water pump and intakes will work on newer models.
5.0l(302) Ford engine is 19" wide and 21" tall, and it is a tight fit, not over sized just tight with steering shaft and heater box, not sure of the width of the 3.8l

I doubt there would be an off the shelf adapter for newer GM engines to newer Ford transmissions, post-1980, especially for V6 models, V8 would be more likely.
The 3800 uses "GM small corporate pattern" for bell housing, manual trans RWD versions are available, other chevy V6's used "Small block pattern" which there are probably adapters for.
Older Ford manuals did have detachable bell housings, adapting the GM bell housing to older Ford manual trans may be a way to do it.
I think the last version of manuals in Rangers that had detachable bell housings were the Mitsubishi FM-145 and 146, both 5-speeds, FM-146 was used in '88-'92 Rangers with 2.9l and 4WD.

You want to check out Novak conversions, they make adapters

 

[HadASplash/XLTSC]

Just a quick look at the GM engines you mentioned and they seem to all be transverse mounted, which can be overcome but extra layer of complications, older models did come in RWD but not sure if those head gaskets, water pump and intakes will work on newer models.
5.0l(302) Ford engine is 19" wide and 21" tall, and it is a tight fit, not over sized just tight with steering shaft and heater box, not sure of the width of the 3.8l

I doubt there would be an off the shelf adapter for newer GM engines to newer Ford transmissions, post-1980, especially for V6 models, V8 would be more likely.
The 3800 uses "GM small corporate pattern" for bell housing, manual trans RWD versions are available, other chevy V6's used "Small block pattern" which there are probably adapters for.
Older Ford manuals did have detachable bell housings, adapting the GM bell housing to older Ford manual trans may be a way to do it.
I think the last version of manuals in Rangers that had detachable bell housings were the Mitsubishi FM-145 and 146, both 5-speeds, FM-146 was used in '88-'92 Rangers with 2.9l and 4WD.

You want to check out Novak conversions, they make adapters

Thanks Ron. I'll look at Novak conversions. I was talking about the N/S oriented 3.8L Buicks (the turbo is an '80 & the NA is an '85.) Both were G-Body motors ( GM did put a 3800 in the Camaro/Firebird just before they killed it off, and I think a very few might have been 5 speeds.) I guess I'd have to look how to mate the GM Engine/Trans Drivelines I have to a transfer case for a Ranger. Carbs make it easier, unless we'd eventually go to an EASYEFI style FI....
Again, dreaming at this point....but still thinking.
Thanks for the Novak info!

 

[bobbywalter]

...this would be easy to do with just the bop-chevy adapter and use the small blazer 4.3 v6 or s10 transmission and t case. that is the way i would do it if i had a nice turbo grand national engine laying around...



you can hook the 700r4, beefed up of course, to the 1350 series transfer case if you wanted to. no driveline mods that way. not very cheap, but very easy to do and cost effective in time and money verse building driveshafts and k members etc for total outlay of time and money if a guy dont have skills and tools..


http://www.transmissionadapters.com/GM 3800 series.htm

patc sells the adapter for the shaft...around 460...pn #56A4LD

iirc, there are nv3550 to bw1350 series adapters as well.


be a really easy swap if you really wanted to do it...and forking kewl to boot.

i would prefer to go efi, or blow through....but if i had a good running puller...drop er in there mang...get it done.

 

[bobbywalter]

this is a little too cheap...but there are tons of parts out there


http://www.summitracing.com/parts/tci-230001/reviews




the newer supercharged front drive have the chevy style small pattern.

i can see where they would be interesting as well, but a gn engine ftw.


its a cost effective swap in my eyes.

 

[HadASplash/XLTSC]

...this would be easy to do with just the bop-chevy adapter and use the small blazer 4.3 v6 or s10 transmission and t case. that is the way i would do it if i had a nice turbo grand national engine laying around...







you can hook the 700r4, beefed up of course, to the 1350 series transfer case if you wanted to. no driveline mods that way. not very cheap, but very easy to do and cost effective in time and money verse building driveshafts and k members etc for total outlay of time and money if a guy dont have skills and tools..





http://www.transmissionadapters.com/GM 3800 series.htm



patc sells the adapter for the shaft...around 460...pn #56A4LD

iirc, there are nv3550 to bw1350 series adapters as well.





be a really easy swap if you really wanted to do it...and forking kewl to boot.



i would prefer to go efi, or blow through....but if i had a good running puller...drop er in there mang...get it done.

I was thinking exactly the same thing if I couldn't do the Manual Trans, use a B/O/P Adaptor to a Bravada Trans & Tcase ( like the Syclone/Typhoons ) if it was going to be 90% street driven.
No GN engine "lying around", but a disassembled older brother motor from an 80 Monte Turbo (Buick powered, not the Chevy 3.8/4.3).... Ran well before, & is complete....
All I have now are the idea & the engines, the knowledge of the Rangers, the tools, but no garage bay (& no Ranger yet)! The boy won't drive for more than a few years yet, so I have time to find a nice Carolina truck to start with & bring north to the Poconos.

 

[HadASplash/XLTSC]

Thanks for the Tcase & BOP adapter info too!

 

[scrapper]

Buick used to have a 231 and a 252 even fire engines, there were odd fire engines but they were crap. I had an olds starfire back in the 80's with a 231 even fire engine. There was a guy named Jim Ruggles that was in to building them with Buick. I think you could get 1hp per ci with stock parts.They had an article in hot rod magazine about him The buick came out with a regal, I think, that beat the factory vet in the quarter mile and the 0-60 times. It was turbo charged. That was the mid 80's. I had a strip dominator intake holly 390 carb clifford research 6=8 headers bored about 30 over,comp cams camshaft. That car would go a lot faster than I would drive it, not sure how fast, the speedo cable burned on the header. It would start floating on the highway. I think they would make plenty of power for a ranger. I have been thinking about doing that with a 4 speed. I wont, but I cant help thinking about it.